In the field of waste water treatment, clarifier tanks are used to separate waste solids from the water as one of the last stages of treatment. The clarifier tanks typically consist of a circular or rectangularly-configured tank in which a centrally mounted, radially-extending arm is slowly moved or rotated about the tank at or proximate the surface of the carrier liquid.
Waste water enters the tank either through the bottom of the tank or through some other entry port. Thereafter, the aim is to have the solid waste, or sludge, settle to the bottom of the tank with the cleaner water escaping over a weir into an effluent or launder channel before final processing and release to the environment.
A major deterrent to effective solids removal is the presence of sludge density currents that form within the tank. These currents create hydraulic short circuits that bypass the tanks' main clarification volume. and allow solids to enter the effluent. The effectiveness of clarifier tanks is measured in the amount of total suspended solids (TSS) that leave the clarifier tank through the effluent channel.
In order to reduce the TSS output into the effluent channel, a number of modifications have been made to these tanks, one of which is commonly referred to as a density current baffle. These baffles, situated along the outer wall of the tank, facing inward and downward, are designed to redirect these currents back towards the center of the tank and thus away from the effluent channel.
In the past several attempts have been made to design effective bafflers for such clarifier tanks.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,206 to Beard et al. relates to a turbulence control system for an intra-channel clarifier which reduces turbulence within and allows the removal of sludge from the clarifier.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,157 to Jennelle is directed to an apparatus and method for clarifying solids from a solids-containing liquid having a multilayer baffle system and integral solids removal sump. The multilayer baffle system includes a first set of baffles placed above the main liquid flow path for minimizing horizontal flow and creating local turbulence so as to promote settling and assure that no solids settle on the baffles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,278 to Galper relates to a modular plate settler for use in a liquid clarifier system having one or more inlet ports for receiving an influent flow of liquid. The modular plate settler comprises a parallelogram-shaped enclosure provided with a full bottom opening for receiving the influent flow of liquid from the settling tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,205 to Schaller is directed to an improved baffle system which is constructed as a modular unit and that consists of a plurality of inter-engaged individual baffles, each formed as a unitarily-integrated element incorporating both the panel member and an integral end bracket for suspended securement of the baffle to the peripheral wall of the clarifier tank.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,483 to Schaller is directed to a vented baffle system where one or more of the baffles are provided with a relief valve means for venting the pressure in a space formed between the junction of the lower side of the panel member and the peripheral tank wall. The resulting system provides a vented baffle system in which pressure exerted by the build up of gases in the space may be alleviated. Both U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,252,205 and 5,597,483 are incorporated by reference.
Each of these existing baffle designs, while effective at reducing the TSS % exiting through the effluent channel, still exhibit a number of drawbacks. For example, the existing baffle designs do not perform well when the flow through the clarifier tank is low. Furthermore, the performance of these baffles depends upon their location relative to the sludge blanket, but the sludge blanket height is often unknown or changes. Yet another drawback is that the performance of existing baffle designs become unstable when the flow changes suddenly, such as after a rain storm, resulting in an increase in solids entering into the effluent channel.